Cameron begins transformation of parking lot into Bentley Gardens

Construction of Cameron University's Bentley Gardens will begin next week, according to CU President Cindy Ross. The gardens will be a beautiful companion piece to the McMahon Centennial Complex (MCC), currently under construction. The peaceful 2.6 acre site will become the preferred gathering place for students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors, providing lush gardens with trees, flowers, benches, boulders, a gazebo and the Tom and Monica McCasland Family Pond. The Bentley Gardens, named for the generous $400,000 donation of Lawton residents Steve Bentley and Don Bentley, are funded primarily by private monies.

"The Bentley Gardens will enhance the beauty of the Cameron Campus," says President Cindy Ross. "Truly, Cameron's campus has been transformed, and the Bentley Gardens will add a lush, serene setting that will tie together our recent construction projects. We are indebted to Steve and Don Bentley, Tom and Monica McCasland, and the other donors who contributed more than $800,000 for this project - 160 percent of the $500,000 goal - during the Centennial Changing Lives Campaign."

The Bentley Gardens will be the centerpiece of university life on the CU campus, bordered by the MCC's ballroom balcony and patio on the north, the new Business Building on the west, Cameron Village on the east, and the CU Fitness Center on the south. The Gardens are schedule for completion during the Fall 2009 semester. ###